Residents angered after bulldozer leaves no trees standing

IT WAS a view that calmed Peter Gill's 93-year-old mother as she looked out each day onto a green canopy populated by kookaburras and sugar gliders as kangaroos eased their way through the under growth.

Instead of the window revealing the rich biodiversity for which the area was once renowned it instead frames a landscape laid bare by the latest bulldozing of native vegetation for housing.

A photo taken from the same window before the trees were cleared.Contributed

Peter, who also lives in Peregian Springs but works in Brisbane during the week, said he saw his mother regularly and had watched as trees had been marked as if they were the ones to be left.

"They took the whole lot out," he said.

He said when he bought into Peregian Springs seven years ago, the developer left areas of trees.

But he said that approach had changed for the Ridges subdivision.

"There's not one single tree left standing," Peter said. "I thought they would leave a strip or buffer (from Arcare) to the new development. It appears developers and council have no regard for our seniors in their twilight years.

"There is no reason a buffer of trees couldn't have been maintained between the aged care facility and this greedy, unnecessary development. There is still a lot of land available in the Ridges area and also in a new small development just past the Arcare facility, so why the urgent need to destroy this lovely piece of native bush?

"When I bought into the estate I was led to believe this land was set aside for expansion of the shopping centre as the population grew, what happened to that?

"I am disgusted by this council's lack of concern for communities and the environment.

"All the new developments recently has been allowed to clear every tree and we're ending up with these desolate, soulless estates with houses virtually on top of each other. We are fast losing the one thing that makes the Sunshine Coast such a beautiful place to live."

He said signs announcing the development had been "discreetly placed" where they were difficult to see.

"The signs weren't up for long then the fences went up and the trees went down before Christmas," Peter said.

"I couldn't believe it. One week it was lovely and the next it was all gone. I didn't think they would do that. Everyone along that side (of Arcare) is really upset."

Ian Christesen, former Sunshine Coast Environment Council officer and now president of peak residents' group OSCAR, said the entire Peregian Springs-Ridges area a decade ago had been a well-identified koala habitat.

He said planning conditions were imposed to protect that habitat but had been amended over time.

"It is beyond the stretch of anyone to imagine that any koalas have survived," Mr Christesen said.

Questions put to Sunshine Coast Council yesterday about the development approval process and fauna management associated with the tree clearing remained unanswered.

A spokesperson for the developer, the Aveo Group, said last week that all work was carried out in accordance with development approvals.